Into the Mystic

The seaport town of Mystic was the centerpiece of our Connecticut sojourn.  My oldest daughter Gina and her husband Laszlo took the train in from New York City to join us.
Youngest daughter Amy, her boyfriend Jordan, Julie and I enjoyed the tree-lined, hour-long drive from Storrs where Amy attends the University of Connecticut. While my hometown of Westminster, California, has been proclaimed an All-American City, the bedroom communities of Connecticut, with their Cape Cod and colonial houses scattered among seemingly endless forests, truly look like a Disney version of America.



As we approached our destination a week ago, Julie, who used to work for General Dynamics Electronic Systems in San Diego, pointed out the factilities of sister spinoff General Dynamics Electric Boats. GDEB builds nuclear submarines along a channel near Mystic. The U.S. also builds other military ships, so we still know how to make seaworthy, state of the art vessels. 

Connecticut has a proud history of shipbuilding, as the Mystic Seaport Museum of America and the Sea attests. Actually, we just saw the impressive periphery of the seaport, deciding not to fork out $24 per person to go inside. Instead, we enjoyed a delicious lunch overlooking the harbor at the outdoor picnic tables of the Sea View Snack Bar, which fries up fresh seafood and assorted fast food. Like much of America, Mystic has become primarily a place for tourists to visit and see monuments to past greatness when it comes to non-military manufacturing.

As a proud American who works in the growth industry of cruising, I am saddened that the floating wonders of the world which house such fantastic vacations are not built in the United States. You may think that our labor must be too high, but in fact other first world countries including Germany and Japan build ships.

A few years back, American Classic Voyages received heavy government subsidies to build two ships in Mississippi for its United States Cruise Lines to replace its aging American flagged ship in Hawaii. Unfortunately, American Classic Voyages went bankrupt in 2001, taking Project America down with it.

Norwegian Cruise Lines bought the unfinished ship out of bankruptcy and made some kind of deal to allow it to finish the ship under construction in Germany. That ship became Pride of America and, after some initial difficulties finding sufficient American staffing, it has been quite successful cruising Hawaii in recent years as an American flagged ship that doesn't need to call on a foreign port. I love the itinerary and recommend it highly, but it is sad that NCL America felt compelled to bring the ship to Germany to have it finished, even after our Congress had provided its prior owner huge subsidies to build it in America.

If you wonder why more ships don't cruise exclusively in U.S. waters, it is because they must be American flagged and staffed with an all-American crew. The Jones Act from the 1800s was an act passed to protect U.S. jobs, but it prohibits any foreign staffed cruise ship to not call on at least one foreign port of call, which ironically costs Americans commerce and jobs in favor of places like Mexico and Canada, which can be easily reached from the United States. NCL Pride of America is the last "American made" cruise ship in the world.

Why don't we build cruise ships in the United States when we make up such a large part of the world demand for cruises? Obviously, they are capital intensive projects which allow higher salaries and good benefits, as my business classes taught regarding marginal and fixed costs,  but we seem to have conceded this growth industry to other countries. If you have seen the insightful movie The Company Men, perhaps you too wish some rich investor like Warren Buffett would dig into his pockets to build cruise ships in America rather than fighting the tax system, but no one seems willing to take the risk.

When I hear about the government wanting to create American jobs, I can't help but wonder why they don't look at reducing regulations related to the cruise industry, a business model which consumers have proven they are willing to voluntarily support. From the experience of Project America as well as other recent SNAFUs of government manufacturing, however, it is obvious that the government shouldn't fund the projects but rather make it easier for American entrepreneurs to concentrate on building instead of filling out forms and jumping through hoops.

For what it is worth, in Germany they had some major problems finishing the ship, including the partially finished ship burning and almost sinking. As to whether this was simply bad luck or something related to 9/11-type conspiracies or union unrest is unclear.

In any case, Mystic definitely provides lots of great choices for tourists. In addition to Mystic Seaport, where we enjoyed some great free samples of fudge, we also walked over to Olde Mistick Village on the first day.

The Garlic Festival was in full swing, and various aromas enhanced with fresh garlic filled the air. In several locations, talented minstrals played folk music, and of course lots of people sold crafts. We enjoyed taking it all in, eventually buying some Jah Makin Me Crazy Coffee that had a rich caramel and vanilla flavor to it.

We checked into the Absence of Malice on Gina's computer, because Amy needed to watch it for a journalism ethics class paper. We all enjoyed the flick and saved Amy a couple of hours of study time in her overloaded university schedule.

Before watching the movie, we walked to Thai One On for dinner. Everything we tried from their extensive menu proved to be great. I had their signature dish, Thai One On Noodles, which was listed as spicy, but the waitress asked if I wanted one to four stars, with four being hottest. I asked for two stars, and it was really hot. I think even my sister would have called it flaming hot, but it was delicious. My Mystic Bridge IPA helped cool my tongue.

On Sunday, Gina and Laszlo went to the Mystic Aquarium, which they said was terrific, including the Beluga whales and stingrays. Julie and I went to Stonington, a nearby town with an historic lighthouse, and then back to the Garlic Festival.  College students Amy and Jordan worked on homework in the spacious lobby of our hotel, which has free internet. 

For lunch, we all walked into downtown Mystic to have lunch at the famous Mystic Pizza, which of course was made famous in the Julia Roberts movie of the same name. A loop of the movie played without sound constantly on televisions throughout the restaurant, among walls of movie memorobilia. The barbecued chicken pizza was excellent, as was a salad that included some fruit and nuts along with the greens and vinaigrette. It's good to know they didn't let fame screw up their recipes. 

After lunch, we browsed some great shops with unique items in downtown Mystic.  As usually happens, all too soon it was time to go. We enjoyed a nice weekend in Mystic.

Maui: September, 2005

Before getting to Maui, I really need to address the most annoying facet of Norwegian Cruise Lines. Let me preface my remarks by saying that I have many clients that return from cruises aboard newer NCL ships like Star, Dawn, Spirit and Pride of America with high praise for the entire cruise experience. Based on my recommendations, most of these clients go in staterooms with private balconies, taking advantage of the newest ship designs which include more balconies that in turn leads to a lower price differential between ocean view and balcony categories. On my recent cruise aboard Pride of America, I heard a few people complaining that their rooms were small. Norwegian's standard rooms are a bit small, especially compared to Holland America, Carnival and Celebrity, but Balcony rooms often cost less on newer NCL ships compared to other cruise ships. Here is what people who choose to take the cheaper route must understand: NCL offers very low lead rates, and the standard interior and ocean view rooms can be super-bargains. BUT, once on board, DON'T FORGET your original reason for choosing an inexpensive room. You probably told yourself you would never be in the room anyway, and that is perfectly legitimate for some people. Or perhaps you could not afford to spend more. If you booked a family of four into the cheapest interior room available, taking advantage of miniscule third and fourth rates, then you need to get a grip on reality before complaining about the fact that NCL accommodated your thriftiness by giving you the opportunity to cruise on a limited budget.

If you could have spent more on your room and regret your decision once on board, make a note to yourself to never repeat that mistake and then make the best of your trip. Oh, and by the way, Freestyle Dining means you won't have the same waiter every night. If that is essential to you, then book on Celebrity or almost any other cruise line. Don't whine to fellow passengers about YOUR CHOICES. It dampens the buzz for the rest of us. In short, my pet peeve on NCL or any cruise is that some ill-informed people try to ruin the trip for the rest of us. Okay, I'm off my soap box.

Pride of America gives passengers two full days in Maui with an overnight on the ship. This allows passengers to take advantage of many great shore excursions from a luau at Kaanapali Beach to downhill bicycling from the top of Mount Haleakala to snorkeling at Molokini. Julie and I chose to simply rent a car again, this time for two days. Free overnight parking is available near the ship. Maui has wonderful places to explore by auto, and like the rest of Hawaii, you can come back repeatedly and still be ready to return soon.

This time, we mainly used the car to take us to our Maui favorite, Kaanapali Beach, with an occasional deviation to places like Wailea and Lahaina. Whaler's Village provides three hours of free parking at Kaanapali with a minimum purchase, so both days we enjoyed a delicious Kapulu Joe sandwich at the Hula Grill's Barefoot Bar. A purchase at the ABC store took care of another three hours of parking.

What can you do with your time on Kaanapali? Our favorite activity is snorkeling at Black Rock by the Sheraton. The water is warm and clear. Diverse, colorful fish seem to enjoy the conditions as much as the humans, so they're plentiful. Lounging in the sand between dives allows time to read a good book or simply enjoy the beautiful views.

A short drive away, funky Lahaina lures visitors to its stores and restaurants, including Cheeseburger in Paradise. On our visit this year, the guitarist singing Jimmy Buffett covers was nowhere to be seen, so it was more of an overpriced hamburger in a tourist trap. The beautiful views from the Hula Grill on Kaanapali make it definitely a better choice for meals or drinks, but you've got to go to Cheeseburger in Paradise at least once.

If you've never been to Maui, then the Road to Hana can be a wonderful driving trip, but allow an entire day. The waterfalls and lush foliage hugging the windy road are beautiful, as are the stops at sacred pools and the black sand beach, but rushing can result in getting car sick. Just ask my nephew, Jered. Cleaning a rental car is no way to spend vacation time.

Back on the ship, we experienced the only "formal" night on the cruise, and only about half of the people dressed for the occasion. You definitely won't feel out of place staying casual on this cruise. Most of the casual diners chose to go to the buffet rather than the dining rooms, and the quality of the buffet on Pride of America makes this a solid choice any time. People who came to the dining room in less than semi-formal attire were welcome there, too.

Are you ready for a simple-to-plan vacation in a casual environment? Would you like to enjoy the best of four Hawaiian Islands while unpacking only once? Call toll free 310-546-9618 to book your next great vacation.

Hilo: September, 2005

Our first stop on Pride of America was Hilo, on the green side of the big island of Hawaii. The reason this side of the island is so green usually becomes obvious at least once a day. This is not, however, a chilling winter rain on the mainland but more of a cooling sprits that's actually welcome when you've been hiking.

And hike you should at this port, with many great trails to explore through gorgeous rainforests, along beautiful coastlines and past dramatic waterfalls. The combination of choices could be baffling, but the ones my wife, Julie, selected all seemed excellent examples, and none charged for admission.

For our rainforest hike, we went to Kohala Forest Reserve. After enjoying miles of lush vegetation, we arrived at a point from which the guidebook said we should see an enormous canyon with a long waterfall on the other side, but the mist thickened to obscure any view. Like a movie fade-in, however, the mist cleared and we realized we had definitely arrived at a remarkable panoramic view.

For a beautiful coastal view, we visited Waipio Lookout, with dramatic lush green hills above a black sand beach surrounded by clear blue water and white wave caps.

Waterfalls can be seen off the highway heading north out of Hilo, but a walk through Akaka Falls State Park and by Umauma Falls should be on your agenda, too.

How do you get to these great hiking areas? Rent a car. In fact, even if your health prohibits you from taking long walks, driving is a great way to see scenery in Hawaii. Because you're always in America on this cruise, renting a car couldn't be much easier. The roads are pretty much what you're used to back home, but probably with less traffic. You can bring rental car phone numbers like we did, or get the numbers from the purser's desk, but simply walking off the ship and asking one of the waiting rental car reps is probably the easiest way. The agencies with the best rates, which seemed to consistently be Dollar or Budget, generally required a request for pick-up by phone. Among the mini-cars that we rented, Budget consistently had better cars than Dollar, but Dollar was cheaper. I wouldn't advise renting a car before leaving home, as a change of itinerary would just complicate matters. Budget, in fact, consistently had "Pride of America" special pricing available that probably beat advance booking rates.

The second night out on most cruises is a formal dinner, but not on Pride of America, where it is Hawaiian-style dress theme that night. We arrived in our Hawaiian shirts at the dining room at 6 PM and were given a table right away. The food was delicious, and the service was friendly, if a bit slow due to the dining room being slightly understaffed. For the big show that night, we enjoyed the comedy and juggling of Barry John, who has been a regular on Pride of America sailings since her Hawaii debut. He is the first juggler I have ever seen receive a standing ovation from a packed theater, and he deserved every last clap.

Are you ready for a simple-to-plan vacation in a casual environment? Would you like to enjoy the best of four Hawaiian islands while unpacking only once?

Why Should You Choose Norwegian Cruise Lines?

You want to leave alarm clocks and structure behind when you go on vacation.

You want to eat at different restaurants each evening, like at a land resort, even if it costs a bit more.

You live for great entertainment.

You never want to get out of your casual clothes.

And, depending on your ideal vacation parameters, one or more of the following may apply:

1. You want to cruise around the Hawaiian Islands roundtrip from Honolulu.

2. You are single and want special accommodations and lounge area just for those traveling solo who like to mingle with like souls.

3. You demand one of the largest suites at sea featuring truly outstanding amenities, including a butler to handle everything from unpacking your suitcase to serving you hors d'oeuvres in the evening to making priority arrangements for boarding, dinner reservations, tender tickets and more.

4. You're traveling with your kids, whether you want to squeeze into a small room to save money or luxuriate in a Haven with a private pool area.

Norwegian has always been a highly innovative cruise line, essentially inventing destination cruising in the Caribbean from Miami, among other breakthroughs.  Around the turn of the millennium, NCL's aging fleet and declining perceived value among increasing competition forced it to re-invent itself, and the result was "Freestyle Cruising," with fixed dining times, dress codes and other perceived structural limitations of traditional cruising tossed aside.

Over the next decade,  they replaced the entire fleet with new ships as they implemented their freestyle plan with mixed results, eventually improving efficiency throughout the line, erasing memories of shoddy ships and poor service.

With their newest ships, Norwegian Cruise Lines introduced full-blown Broadway plays and Las Vegas showroom headliners like the Blue Man Group, upping their entertainment game and once again challenging the rest of the industry. There's also lots of fun stuff like huge water slides and two story Wii Wall for the kids.

Freestyle also means lots of alternative dining venues, some of which are included at no additional charge.  This allows you to dine in exactly the atmosphere enjoying whatever you might crave on any given evening at a modest surcharge.

Unfortunately for NCL, many other cruise lines copied parts of their freestyle programs, including open dining as a choice, somewhat diluting their unique marketing proposition, but Norwegian nonetheless has earned consideration by prospective travelers when their itineraries approximate those desired.

This is especially true for Hawaii, one of the great tropical destinations in the world.  NCL Pride of America gives guests the opportunity to visit all four major islands, sailing from Oahu with overnights in Maui and Kauai as well as a port day in both Hilo and Kona on the big island of Hawaii. 

The ship itself lives up to its name, themed on the best of the United States to make it a great choice for vacationers from the rest of the world as well as for Americans.  If you don't want to include a few days of Transpacific crossing, Pride of America is the only way to cruise the islands of Hawaii, made possible because it is U.S. flagged with a U.S. crew.  Higher labor costs of the mandatory U.S. crew for a ship without foreign ports leads to this cruise costing more than many other trips on similar ships, but as Pride of America sells out week after week, many people obviously believe the itinerary to be well worth it.

Lest I be misunderstood, Norwegian also cruises to lots of other destinations including the Caribbean, Bermuda, Europe, Alaska, Mexico and Canada/New England.

If you're single, you will enjoy the Studio life, with a smaller room and special singles-only lounge area available on some ships.  Based on the warm welcome this breakthrough has received, expect a lot of imitators.

And if you want to enjoy all of the choices of a large ship but want to be treated like royalty, the Suite life on NCL is for you.

I used to be reluctant to recommend NCL, but a lot has changed over the last decade. For you, Norwegian Cruise Lines might now be the perfect choice. I'll be happy to help you figure that out.

Better service leads to better trips!

P.S. For those of you in the Los Angeles area, you should be excited to have Norwegian Star returning to the West Coast for Mexican Riviera cruises starting at the end of this month.

Hot Norwegian Deals on Hawaii, Bermuda and Casablanca

You may have noticed a change in focus for my blog recently. Instead of primarily focusing on personal travel experience, I've been writing about specials. It's a response to requests for information on hot deals. Of course, these deals are subject to availability at the time of purchase.

If you want more of a feel for what being on a cruise is really like, check out the Archives in the right hand column, where you can find first hand narrations of what it is like to take a cruise. You can even put a particular destination into the blog search section above to see what comes up.

A cruise line I haven't spoken about much is Norwegian. I've taken two NCL cruises in Hawaii and really enjoyed both of them. The NCL America label designates American flagged and staffed ships. At one point, they had three ships cruising around Hawaii year-round, and why not? Unfortunately, they had trouble staffing them with Americans ready to work, so now there's only one left year-round, but it is the best of them: Pride of America.

Hawaii is the greatest American tropical vacation destination, and on a cruise, you can visit the four major islands while unpacking only once. If you've never been to Hawaii, you owe it to yourself to go, and I personally think this cruise is the best way to enjoy Hawaii.

A cruise in Hawaii gives the you the chance to see the best of each island and then return to the ship for delicious meals and great entertainment. One of my favorite production shows is "Coming to America," produced exclusively for NCL's Pride of America. The ship is themed, as you may have guessed, after great places in the United States, so it is a wonderful way for Americans and foreigners alike to relish a Disneyesque version of the best of America while cruising between some of the best islands on earth.

As incredible as it seems, NCL America is offering a Winter Break cruise over New Year's Eve starting at just $799 per person. $50 pp more gets you an ocean view, but when O/V with Private Balconies are only $999 for a cruise embarking on December 26, can you really say no? This could be the hottest holiday cruise deal ever!!!

Can't change your plans that quickly? Here's another great deal for the spring, embarking on either April 25 or May 2 from New York City. This 7 Night Bermuda Cruise has Balcony Rooms starting at $849 per person!
Insides start at $499 and ocean view at $599. Bermuda is another of the all time great cruise destinations, with pink sand beaches abutting turquoise water, British charm and challenging, ocean view golf courses.

Have something more exotic in mind? How about a 9-Nights on Norwegian Jade cruising to Morocco and the Canary Islands from Barcelona on February 5? Balconies start as low as $999 per person, insides at just $599 and ocean views at $749.

When and where do you want to go? "Better service leads to better trips!"

From Honolulu With Pride: September, 2005

Because Hawaii's time zone is three hours behind Pacific Standard Time, arriving on time for the 8 PM sail away on Pride of America is much easier than flying against the time change to Miami for a 5 PM departure to the Caribbean, eliminating the necessity of a red-eye flight or a pre-cruise hotel stay.

If you've never been to the island of Oahu, however, you might want to fly in a couple of days early and take advantage of NCL's great pre-cruise hotel deal. We left Los Angeles at 8 AM and arrived in Honolulu before noon on Saturday, our embarkation day. We headed over to the cruise ship and were allowed to check-in at 12:30 PM, leaving our luggage by our room and then enjoying a delicious buffet lunch onboard, including fresh, sweet pineapple and succulent barbecued ribs.

By the way, you do not need a passport, or even a certified copy of your birth certificate to board the Pride of America or Aloha cruises. A drivers license or other government issued photo ID is all you need to check in, and this can be a big plus for this cruise, especially if you have no idea where your birth certificate is or your name has changed a couple of times through marriages.

The all-Hawaii itinerary visits a port every day of the cruise, so you might want to relax on the ship for the first afternoon, getting acquainted with the ship's floor plan and possibly a bartender or two. Julie, however, loves to explore tropical ports, especially on a bright, sunny day like this happened to be, so after lunch we caught a bus over to Waikiki Beach, where we managed to buy a beach towel and bamboo mat at an ABC Store, swim a little in the bright blue surf, have a drink at Duke's Canoe Club and browse the International Marketplace before heading back to the ship. In short, we enjoyed a micro-version of a Honolulu vacation. If you've got a little extra time in Waikiki, learn to surf on some of the most perfect beginner waves imaginable.

A sail away party was the big entertainment for the evening, as Pride of America routinely foregoes a first night show in the Hollywood Theater, presumably because experience has shown people turn in early on the first night in preparation for an early morning arrival in beautiful Hilo. Of course, there's also entertainment in smaller venues to suit all tastes for those who want to party late into the night.

Are you ready for a simple-to-plan vacation in a casual environment? Would you like to enjoy the best of four Hawaiian Islands while unpacking only once? Call me toll free at 310-546-9618 to start planning your next great vacation.

Kauai: September, 2005

My wife wasn't sure about Pride of America's decorating scheme from my descriptions. I told her it seemed like a Disney version of America, and she feared it might be too much Americana.

Once on board, she loved it. The Washington, D.C., influenced atrium, complete with a large Presidential Seal, and the red, white and blue Liberty Main Restaurant might have become overwhelming had that patriotic theme been repeated throughout, but instead, most public spaces showcased the best of the states, like the Key West Bar, Hollywood Theatre, Skyline Main Restaurant, Napa Wine Bar, Mardi Gras Cabaret, Cadillac Diner and Gold Rush Saloon.

"Coming to America," an all new show produced for Pride of America, dazzled us with a cross section of music and cultures of the United States that made the audience stand up and cheer. The cast of singers and dancers proved to be outstanding. All of the shows during the course of our seven night cruise were great in their own ways, but this one definitely should not be missed by anyone.

I think it would be possible to have a great vacation without leaving this wonderful ship, but every day we found ourselves in Hawaii, on islands with more to see and do than time allowed. As you might have guessed, this makes the Hawaii cruise one that should be taken at least once and then be repeated regularly.

Kauai is perhaps the most beautiful of the Hawaiian Islands, and for me, the most scenic area is the Na Pali Coast.

We drove to Ke'e Beach, where we began one of the prettiest hikes in the world along the Kalalau Trail.

The last time we trekked up the moderately steep path through the jungle along the panoramic coast six years earlier, it seemed a lot easier but no less gorgeous.

Small waterfalls cross the path and make the footing slippery at some points, but the views make it worth the struggle.

Eventually, we made it to gorgeous Hanakapi'ai Valley, where fresh water cascades down the mountainside and joins the turquoise ocean. Upon hiking back to Ke'e Beach, we enjoyed great snorkeling over the shallow reef shell. Driving back, we took time to enjoy some of the awesome views of farmlands and beaches near Princeville.

The next morning, we found our legs stiff from the hike (this kind of stuff didn't happen when we were a little younger), but we got back in our car and headed to Poipu, on the sunny side of Kauai, for a little snorkeling and reading on the beach. In the afternoon, we boarded the ship and enjoyed an afternoon cruise along the Na Pali Coast, giving us another view of the most photographed section of Hawaii.

Hawaii This Summer

From all the bumper stickers on cars I see driving around Los Angeles, Hawaii must be the ideal escape for most Southern Californians. I'm certainly a fan, and Julie and I return there regularly, sometimes with others and sometimes alone.

Most people pick an island to stay for a week or so. Each gives you a unique experience. On the Garden Isle of Kauai, you can visit sunny Poipu Beach or go snorkeling at Ke'e Beach before hiking along the Na Pali Coast. In Maui, Kaanapali Beach beckons as a terrific place to enjoy nature and the best of civilization on the same beach, but you can still take a break to bike down a volcano or traverse the winding Road to Hana by car. Kona on the Big Island puts you in touch with sea turltes and dolphins. Oahu is a most civilized experience in Honolulu, while the North Shore is a dream destination for golfers and surfers.

My oldest daughter Gina and her hubby Laszlo split their honeymoon between two islands, Oahu and Kauai, and they loved every minute of it. There are some tours that take travelers to three or more islands on the same trip, but I personally don't care to visit airports any more than necessary on a vacation.

My favorite way to visit Hawaii is by cruise ship. NCL America made a big spash when they brought modern, American flagged cruise ships to Hawaii for year round cruises with no foreign ports. In order to make this port intensive, all-Hawaii itinerary a reality, NCL America needed to staff their ships entirely with US citizens, and this proved to be an Achilles Heel for some travelers. As to whether understaffed ships early in the business cycle dampened demand or bringing three ships to Hawaii was simply overkill I don't know, but this summer, NCL America has cut back to one ship, the wonderful Pride of America. This is one of my all-time favorite cruises, but I must admit the service can be a little slower than on foreign staffed ships. Hopefully, now that they no longer need to provide three American crews, Pride of America is now staffed with the best professionals from the larger experiment and will never again be understaffed. You get an overnight stay on both Maui and Kauai, a full day in both Hilo and Kona on the Big Island, and the trip begins and ends on Oahu, while unpacking only once. What's not to like?

During spring and fall, other cruise lines visit Hawaii, repositioning on their way to or from Alaska. Other ships Cruise roundtrip from Southern California or include the Hawaiian Islands as part of a more exotic sweep through the South Pacific.

Kona: September, 2005

Thursday, Pride of America arrived in Kona, on the sunny side of the big island of Hawaii. We managed to secure a spot on the first tender of the morning, and after a delicious breakfast aboard the ship, we skimmed over the water in a lifeboat to beautiful Kona. We rented a car and headed south in search of sea turtles. Like the rest of this wonderful island chain, Kona has many attractions, and you can't see them all in one day. Sometimes, trying to see too much can result in missing what you want.

We definitely wanted to see turtles rather than volcanoes or sandy beaches on this trip, so we headed south. Punalu'u Beach Park purportedly would have plentiful Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles swimming in the ocean and sunbathing on the black sand beach. It's a long drive, but Punalu'u proved to be beautiful, with a black sand beach between the pristine ocean and a scenic lagoon.

Julie headed out to snorkel in the ocean alone, because we had our camera, wallets and other items that we didn't want to leave on the beach unattended. I wandered over to take pictures of the lagoon, and when I returned, I couldn't see her anywhere. Unbeknownst to me, a powerful rip tide had been sweeping Julie out to sea. A California girl, Julie knew to swim sideways to escape the tide, but she could only fight the rip by going toward the treacherous, jagged rocks. A strong swimmer, she managed to make it to the rocks and climb out. Remember: never snorkel alone, especially in unfamiliar water where no one else is swimming. We didn't see any turtles.

Shaken and disappointed, we backtracked toward Kona and stopped at Honaunau Place of Refuge. It proved to be the best snorkeling destination in Hawaii for us. Diversely beautiful fish were abundant in this crystal clear water with terrific visibility. The living coral that attracts the fish was also lovely. Much closer to the port than Punalu'u, we kicked ourselves for not stopping here first, especially when we heard that not only turtles but dolphins had been frolicking in the water all morning.

As we boarded the ship, the security personnel went through out possessions with a fine tooth comb, as they did at each port, keeping security tight. This should help answer one of the most frequently asked questions. No, you can't bring alcohol onto the ship with you to make drinks in your cabin on this cruise.

At almost every meal in the dining room, the waiters hyped Thursday as lobster night, so it wasn't surprising that almost everyone showed up at the dining room that night. It caused more of a backup and slowdown than usual. Anyone who judged the dining room on that night would probably be disappointed. Ordinarily, we had no trouble getting seated in the dining room between 6 and 6:30, but this evening we were given a pager and told we'd be seated about 7. Not a big deal for us, as we simply headed off to have a drink, like we would at a nice restaurant on land. One fellow passenger, however, took this "shabby treatment" as a personal affront, and as luck would have it, we ended up sitting next to her at dinner, listening to her rant for the entire meal. Like most cruise ship lobster, it was okay but not spectacular, and in retrospect, I wish we would have simply gone to the fantastic buffet instead, not because of the meal but because of that witch.

Cruising Hawaii affords passengers scenic opportunities most vacationers miss. About 10:30 that night, Pride of America cruised along the coast as bright orange lava flowed from the volcano into the sea. It's amazing to watch this island continue to grow, so bring some binoculars.

Are you ready for a simple-to-plan vacation in a casual environment? Would you like to enjoy the best of four Hawaiian Islands while unpacking only once? Call me at 310-546-9618.